Ryan Gosling goes viral for hilarious reaction to Anatomy of The Fall dog clapping at Oscars

Ryan Gosling’s reaction to the Anatomy of The Fall star Messi the dog clapping in the audience has gone viral on social media.

As Robert Downey Jr accepted his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, cameras caught the Barbie star’s reaction after showing Anatomy of The Fall scene stealer, Messi the dog, clapping with his paws in the audience. The 41-year-old actor was overjoyed at the sight of the adorable pup. Messi is the only dog to win an award at the Cannes Festival, winning the Palm Dog award for his role in Anatomy of The Fall.

Internet users took to social media to call Gosling’s reaction relatable, with one person writing: “Such golden retriever energy from Gosling.”

Another added: “They really had Messi, the dog from Anatomy of a Fall, applauding Robert Downey Jr after his acceptance speech lol.”

“Ryan Gosling going, ‘A dog!’ when they showed Messi clapping is the most relatable a celebrity has been in years,” someone else commented.

Others were just amused to see Messi clapping his paws during the ceremony, with one person tweeting: “This is the best thing I’ve ever seen,” while another said: “Best thing that happened at the Oscars.”

Despite showing him at the ceremony, Messi wasn’t technically there, as the clip of him clapping in the audience was pre-filmed with a small group of stand-in audience members. According to the Hollywood Reporter, he wasn’t able to attend the ceremony along with everyone else because multiple companies with nominated films had complained to the Academy that allowing him to attend the event gave Anatomy of a Fall an edge during the voting window.

Although he wasn’t there, Messi’s presence was felt nonetheless throughout the awards season and Oscars festivities.

At the Oscars nominees lunch, Ryan Gosling was caught fawning over the award-winning pup in a viral moment. “The big moment was with Billie Eilish, who bonded with Messi for almost 10 minutes,” Messi’s owner and trainer, Laura Martin, told the outlet in February. “They were hugging and petting and they really had a vibe. Then Bradley Cooper bumped into him in the hallway. The dog went right to him, so they also had a connection.”

“All of this attention began at Cannes,” Martin explained. “There were a few interviews in France but what we’ve been experiencing here in America — with the attention to this dog and his acting — it’s beyond anything we anticipated. It’s probably the maximum that you can accomplish in this field.”

Those who weren’t at the Oscar nominees luncheon and didn’t get to see Messi in person will not be able to see him for the foreseeable future unless they book a role in one of his future projects.

You can find all of the highlights from the Oscars as they happened here, and the best dressed stars on the red carpet here.